I Had a Dream
by shadowyLearner
Summary: Terezi has been blinded by her so-called friend Vriska. With the arrival of a new kid on the block, she has also found a new hope deep inside her. Take part in her journey as she struggles to overcome this sudden change of events and perhaps even find a little love. (Humanstuck. Eventual Karezi and some Spider8reath.)
1. Chapter 1

**I'm warning you all now - of all the possible fanfictions I could write, I can't write Homestuck to save my neck, nor can I really write even a decent Terezi. This was just an idea I had from listening to too much of "I Dreamed a Dream" by Anne Hathaway, so please bear with me.**

**Also: THERE WILL BE OTHER SHIPS BESIDES KAREZI. HOPEFULLY.**

**This is my first Homestuck fanfiction, so please be nice. ^^"**

**And lastly, Homestuck belongs to the almighty Andrew Hussie. Not me, thank goodness, or it would probably been a complete wreck of a comic.**

**-shadowyLearner~**

* * *

The sunlight filtered through the roof, which was full of holes. This did nothing, however, to wake the creature sleeping below the roof: a young woman who was down on her luck. She had recently had an accident that caused her to be blind, and she was unable to find an employer who would take her. Living in poverty, she was forced to find shelter where she could and hope that soon her luck would improve.

"Tereziiiiiiii!"

The woman stirred in her sleep, roused by the loud, calling voice.

"Tereziiiiiiii!" it called again.

The girl opened her eyes, though she saw nothing. "Vriska?"

It _was_ Vriska. Her blue eyes shone through her glasses; she wore a black shirt with a dark gray jacket and blue jeans. A mischievous smile played on the girl's lips. A feeling stirred deep inside Terezi, a mixture of friendship and a feeling one could almost call hatred.

The smile widened on Vriska's lips. "It's been a while." She looked around the run-down house that Terezi has been sleeping in. "A little down on your luck, aren't you?" In Terezi's mind, a picture of Vriska cackling like a witch blossomed.

Unlike Vriska, no clever smile played on Terezi's lips; in fact, quite the opposite: Terezi's lips were in the form of a frown. Maybe she would be smiling if Vriska weren't there, but she was. "What do you want, Vriska?"

"My, aren't we straight-forward!" Vriska exclaimed, the smile never leaving her lips. "But...," the smile flickered off the girl's face for a moment, "there's a new kid in town. I think he'll be able to help you."

Terezi's blind eyes widened. A new kid? He could help her get out of this hell?

Vriska, sensing Terezi's curiosity, added, "His name's Karkat. From what I've gathered, he'll be able to help you, but it's going to be hard to befriend him." _Especially when you're as down in the pyramid as you are, my friend._

Terezi's determination began to brew, and a smile finally appeared. She laughed. A challenge? My, how she loved those. This was going to be fun.

Vriska's smile flickered again. She took a step back out of the wreck Terezi was living in. "I'll see you later..." She left then.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm surprised I had this done so fast. I suppose I owe it to my YouTube music playlist. There are some really good songs to write this story to in there.**

**Anyways, as always Homestuck does not belong to me.**

**-shadowyLearner~**

* * *

Terezi cursed Vriska. She had left her extremely curious, and Terezi would go to confront her - if she wasn't blind, that is. Terezi told herself to be patient, to wait until the next time Vriska would appear, but the curiosity was strong and refused to go away.

Terezi let her head lay back on the hard ground, which seemed to bother her even more now with the curiosity factor. Thoughts whirled around in her mind, and they, too, refused to silenced, no matter how hard she tried. The prospect of waiting until Vriska returned became an impossible feat, and Terezi was getting more and more impatient by the minute.

Eventually, waiting for the woman to appear became too much for the blind girl, and she sat up. She remembered where Vriska lived: in an older house by the sea, with her "friend" (more like boyfriend), John. The frown on Terezi's face grew stern as she thought of the boy; she never really liked him, but she had tolerated him for her friend, the "friend" who blinded her, the friend who had gotten her into this mess.

What a nice friend.

The girl knew she was taking a risk, running out into the town, blind, with no guide, but the curiosity was too much for her. Even if she didn't end up at Vriska's, maybe she would find _something_ out about this new kid.

Terezi left the run-down house with her only item: a black and white walking cane with a red end; buying it was the only thing Vriska ever did to compensate what she did to Terezi. Not learning how to properly use it, though, the girl didn't use it correctly, and so she stumbled out of the house, the cane slipping on the ground.

Before her accident, Terezi would've blinked her eyes to get them used to the sudden change in light when exiting a building, but, as she was blind, it didn't much matter to her now. She felt the ground with her hands; feeling her way, Terezi made her way to the edge of the overgrown yard. She could only imagine what she must've looked like to passer-by: a young woman, barely out of childhood, down on her luck. Maybe they felt sorry for her, but never sorry enough to offer help or normally even acknowledge her existence besides a curious glance.

Maybe it was hatred Terezi felt for these people, or maybe what she felt was pity for herself. Maybe it was a sense of hopelessness. Or maybe it was the feeling she had felt more and more often lately, a feeling that made her want to curl up and die, to not care about what happened to her. But Terezi was stronger than that, and she felt like she had to show Life who was boss. The thought brought a small smile to Terezi's face, for it reminded her of when, as a child, she would pretend to hold court in her room, with her as the judge and her stuffed animals (mainly dragons) as the ones on trial. She had dreams, then, dreams of becoming a lawyer, maybe, or a judge. The girl wished desperately that she could go back to that time...but it was past, and she had to deal with her new life.

Rising off her knees, her pants had a new set of grass stains on them, but she didn't notice and didn't care. She had somewhere to go, a place she needed to be. Her cane in one hand, she held her other hand out, in a vain attempt to make sure she didn't run into anyone. Almost instantly, though, she ran into someone.

Judging from the body mass she had felt, Terezi guessed it was someone about her age and size, though she might've been just a smidge taller.

"Watch where you're going!" The voice was loud and livid, and Terezi also guessed it came from the person she had run into. Terezi bit back a snarl; she'd had enough of life, lately, and she just wanted things to get better. She could've sworn the voice also whispered, under its breath, "Jegus, the first day actually in town, and I get bumped into by a beggar?"

"'First day actually in town'?" she questioned aloud. "Don't you live in town?"

The loud voice, which Terezi had associated with the person she'd ran into by now, settled into a shocked silence; this boy had obviously not thought that she could hear him. "I'm blind, not deaf," remarked the blind girl coldly.

The boy swallowed loudly, then answered Terezi's question. "I don't live _in _town; I live on the outskirts. I just moved here."

Thoughts plagued Terezi's mind again, but they were excited and scared – had she messed up? – now. Could this be the boy Vriska was talking about?


	3. Chapter 3

**I tried to make this chapter longer than the others. Also, this is the first time I've done _anything_ like this with John, so if I made a mistake somewhere, please don't hesitate to point it out. R&R! And I don't own Homestuck!**

**-shadowyLearner~**

* * *

Terezi's heart raced. This boy could be her only hope, and she probably just ruined all chances of receiving his help.

"Hey, are you sure you're not deaf? You seem clueless." The boy's voice pulled Terezi out of her thoughts and back into reality; she had fallen silent as shock had gripped her.

Anger rattled the girl again. "Are _you_? I said I wasn't deaf, didn't I!" yelled Terezi at the boy, outraged and frankly just pissed off. Then she added, more quietly and cautiously, "I was just wondering..."

Picking up on the whisper that escaped Terezi's lips, the boy asked, "Wondering what?"

Terezi suddenly fell silent and felt shy. The boy had called her a _beggar_, hadn't he? He obviously didn't seem to like the fact that she was blind. He also seemed impatient and easily angered, judging by what she had seen of him so far. Could this boy _really_ be the hope Vriska had told her about?

The blind girl sensed another outburst from the boy coming on. Not wanting to hear it, for it would anger _her_ again and the cycle would start over again, she quickly said, "Do you know a girl named Vriska?"

Now silence from the boy. "I...I think? Does she wear glasses and have long, dark hair? She told me she had a friend she wanted me to help...?"

Terezi swallowed. Vriska had...mentioned her?

"Taller than me?" she asked.

"...Yeah."

"Did she mention that her friend was blind?"

"She said she was down on her luck, and that she needed to repay her."

A thought came to be, suddenly, with finality, in Terezi's mind. _This is the boy who is my hope. Thanks...Vriska._

Terezi let a one of her famous devilish smiles appear on her face. "I'm Terezi. You are?"

"Why should I tell you? As far as I'm concerned-"

"I'm Vriska's friend, you dimwit." Terezi's smile had disappeared again, and she was extremely pissed off now. She didn't have time for this boy's doubts. She was tired of being blind already, of living in poverty, of this life! She wanted it to change as soon as possible!

She could almost see a frown on the boy's lips. She couldn't tell what he really looked like, obviously, but she could nurture an image in her mind. In it, he looked like a young, moody teenage boy.

"Karkat," answered Karkat finally.

"Well, _Karkat_," said Terezi, feeling the new word on her lips, "I take it you're already friends with Vriska, hmmm?"

"'Friends'? Why would I be friends with that childish-"

"You seem pretty childish yourself, Karkles."

"_What_?"

"Karkles. It's my nickname for you," replied Terezi, her mouth forming a smile yet again. "Like it?" she asked, following it with a childish, obnoxious but cute laugh.

"No. Don't call me that again," demanded _Karkles_.

Terezi laughed again. "Or what?"

The girl was absolutely overjoyed. She was relieved, and happiness and hope fluttered free in her emotions. She couldn't help herself from smiling, laughing, and cracking jokes like she used to. But the humor was short-lived, for things then became serious.

"I won't help you."

The smile on Terezi's face left, immediately changing into a frown. She clutched her cane as though it were a club, ready and waiting to be used to hit this foolish Karkat in the head. She literally growled, daring him to test her.

She could hear him take a step back.

"I'll help you, alright! Jegus!"

Terezi's frown left her, but she did not resume smiling. She was suddenly feeling serious. "What did you need to do in town?" she asked.

"I was just going to check it out. I heard it's supposed to be the real party city. Seems pretty dead to me." Terezi could almost see the boy shrugging as he finished his thought. "Why?"

"I was wondering," asked the girl, "if I could sleep at your place tonight."

"What? Why would you need to-"

"Use your head, Karkles! I'm blind; I can't really get a job, can I? How can I afford a house?" She pointed in what she thought was the direction of the house, full of holes, from across the grass. "_This_ is what I slept in last night!"

"How do you eat?" asked Karkat, obviously shocked.

Terezi shrugged, sadness coming forth in her. "I eat what I can find...and sometimes I don't eat at all."

Karkat seemed unable to find his voice. Whether he felt sympathy for her or just plain shock, despair kept surfacing more and more in Terezi. She half-closed her eyelids over her sightless eyes.

"Please," she begged, "I can't stand the thought of spending another night in..._that_." She pointed again across the grass at what she hoped was the house.

She heard a faint sigh erupt from the boy. "Fine," he stated finally, obviously reluctant.

"Thanks..." Terezi replied quietly.

For a while, an awkward silence was held between the two. But then a smile appeared on Terezi's face again and she felt hope drown the sorrow. She let a small laugh come from her mouth and then heard another sigh from Karkles.

"What did I get myself into?" he asked, almost breathlessly.

"Oh," laughed Terezi, "you'll see!"

* * *

Terezi had Karkat help her to Vriska's house, though now she only wanted to thank her friend. So, after a lot of confusion and "annoying," as Karkat had described them, laughs from Terezi, they arrived in front of Vriska's somewhat large, blue house. Karkat helped Terezi up the small set of stairs to the front door, which was a slightly darker blue than the rest of the house.

Terezi held her hand out in front of her, making sure she would be knocking on the door instead of Karkat or, quite possibly, some tree nearby or the house itself. Then, satisfied her target was indeed the door, knocked.

The twosome waited for some sort of reply, and after a moment, a quiet creaking sound signaled to Terezi that the dark blue door had opened. However, the person who opened the door was _not_ someone Terezi wanted to talk to.

"Oh, hi, Terezi!"

John. Of course. Just the right person to ruin her perfectly good mood. How could she not have predicted this?

"Can you get Vriska?" she asked coldly.

"Sure!" answered the boy, appearing to be enthusiastic. The thumping of footsteps told Terezi the boy had dashed away to fetch Vriska.

An uneasy silence was held between Terezi and Karkat while the two waited. The girl guessed Karkat wasn't looking forward to talking to Vriska again, but Terezi needed to talk to her.

There was no sound to tell Terezi anyone had appeared, so she jumped when she heard the voice.

"Terezi?"

A smile grew widely on the girl's face, and she couldn't stop herself from letting loose the smallest of laughs. Triumphantly, she announced, "I won!"

She heard a happy laugh from Vriska. "I see."

Terezi threw her head up, smiling and laughing. Needless to say, Karkat was very unnerved by all this, and he felt like an outsider around these two. He was very keen to leave soon, so he asked.

"Can I leave now?"

"Not without me!" objected Terezi, her smile supposedly disappearing and faking being irritated. She pointed her finger at what she hoped was Karkat – and was – and couldn't help but break back into laughter, her smile appearing again.

The blind girl also heard a small laugh from Vriska. Terezi assumed Vriska was loving this. After all, she liked watching others be teased, though normally by her.

Memories of her and Vriska having fun before all this drama even began broke through the barriers in Terezi's mind and flooded her thoughts. She felt happier, her spirit lightened by the cheerful, fun images, and she couldn't help but let her smile stay plastered on her face.

Karkat was utterly confused, and he was unsure of what to say. That is, until he suddenly realized what should be said in this situation.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Terezi giggled again; after all, she hadn't been this happy for months.

And so, once again, Karkat wondered what the _hell_ he got himself into.


	4. Chapter 4

**I apologize for how long it took to write this chapter, and even then it has a lot of OOC parts, which I'm also sorry for. I've been pretty busy lately, and I haven't been in a good Terezi mood either.**

**As always, I do not own Homestuck.**

**-shadowyLearner**

* * *

Terezi stumbled before they even entered the door. Karkat swore under his breath and helped her up. Terezi thanked him through a frown that came as the result of her stumbling before she had even been in the house.

After the threesome's, who became a foursome after John joined in the conversation, talk ended, Karkat, remembering his earlier promise, led Terezi to his home as the sun began to set.

Shadows were stretching across the landscape as Karkat led her through the door of the old house.

The house itself had been made years before and was definitely on the outskirts of the city. It was on a road leading out of the eastern part of the city, and it was near a few small buildings. If you went any more east than the house, you would run into a plain field that led to a forest and then, after the wild forest, to a larger, main city.

"Try not to run into anything," stated Karkat flatly as he stood in the entrance room of the house. It wasn't necessarily a large house, but it wasn't small either.

Of course, Terezi knew none of this except for what Karkat had told her about the house.

He had told her that his grandfather had lived in the house, but he had died long before Karkat was born. He had given great speeches though, at local events, and he was mostly remembered by others because of these long, complex speeches that were more like long drawn out arguments. Karkat had moved there because he had felt a sort of connection to the place and had felt it was time to return.

Terezi didn't really believe Karkat had moved here because he had been drawn to the place; he didn't seem the type to follow a "nonsensical" feeling, but she was stopped from asking questions about it because at that very moment, she had tripped.

The girl swore slightly under her breath as she regained herself. She took only a few steps into the house, but already she almost crashed into a wall. She heard Karkat sigh and, without saying anything, take her hand and lead her to a small room down the hall from Karkat's room.

"Here. I wasn't planning on doing anything with this room anyway."

Terezi could guess from the frustrated sound of his voice and the tight grip of his hand that he was finally realizing what it would mean to help a blind girl. Leading her around in the house and in public was not at the top of the boy's list.

Terezi heard the faint _tick-tock_ of a clock from down the hall. Karkat must have gone to check it because he let go of her hand and left her for a moment. Her suspicion was proved even further when he appeared again and told her it was getting close to dinnertime.

Terezi chuckled slightly. If the boy really was going to help her, he'd also have to help her _eat_. Karkat could _not_ be happy with that idea. Yet he seemed to already have reflected on that thought as he led her to the small kitchen and helped her find a seat. She could have sworn she heard another faint sigh – or was it a grumble? – come from the boy.

A small _ding!_ and she felt Karkat take her hand.

Oh yes, the boy already knew he would have to help her eat, and he did not like it one bit.

"You take your hand and hold the fork. Then you take the fork and put it in the food."

Needless to say, Terezi had enough of it after the first sentence.

"I don't need the narration, Karkles," she growled seriously, using the nickname just to annoy the boy.

She could feel his irritation grow as he cut off abruptly and continued putting her hand through the motions. As soon as the fork was in the food, she snapped at Karkat to let go. She could feel his stare on her as she completed the motions.

"I have it. You can go eat yourself now," she told him, bothered by his obvious staring. No, she couldn't see, but she could still _feel_ when someone was staring; it had always made her feel uncomfortable.

Terezi heard the boy get up from his place at the table and grab a small helping of the meat himself. She could still feel his stare on her. In her determination to prove to Karkat that she didn't need someone helping her at all times, she completed the movements correctly though somewhat faltering.

She continued eating, and still she felt his judging glare on her. Finally, she had enough.

"I can tell you're staring at me!" she snapped.

Almost immediately and somewhat shyly, he dropped his gaze and it shifted to his food, which suddenly seemed extremely interesting.

Terezi huffed a little then turned her sightless gaze onto her own food, almost mirroring Karkat's movements.

Needless to say, a silence held between the two as they ate.

As the girl ate she thought; as Karkat took her plate, she still thought. The stark reaction of hope had faded, and though she didn't feel hopeless, she was beginning to question Vriska's plan.

Yes, if Terezi lived with Karkat, she would have help until she got back on her feet, but...if no one would employ her...was she supposed to just live with and depend on Karkat her whole life? Terezi wasn't that kind of girl, and Vriska knew that. She had to, with how close the two had been before her..._accident_.

Time slipped from her grasp as she thought, which she realized when Karkat interrupted her thoughts: "Are you just going to sit there all night?"

Terezi said nothing as she left the chair and walked cautiously away from the table. She felt Karkat take her hand. She suspected he was trying to save time and pain by leading her to the room.

"I hope you don't need me to wake you up either?" the boy asked dryly. "I _am_ trying to get a job here, you know."

Terezi felt a bitter feeling rise in her chest, but she pushed it away. He was only speaking truthfully. It wasn't as if _she_ could get a job.

* * *

She had been lying in her bed for what seemed like hours, but in reality was probably only ten minutes. She found she was unable to fall asleep. Terezi sighed; it was the first time in a long while since she had been in an actual bed, so why couldn't she fall asleep?

She reached over past the edge of the bed with her hand, searching for her cane, which, according to Karkat, had been placed propped up against a small nightstand by the side of the bed. The only problem was, she had lost track of what side of the bed she was facing toward.

Feeling around with her hand, Terezi found that the side of the bed she was currently facing did not have the nightstand. She turned her body around to face the other way, and, as she placed her hand out, felt a cool surface under her fingertips. Feeling around the nightstand, she felt a comfort as she gripped her cane.

She sat herself up on the bed when an obvious thought occurred to her.

What was she going to do? Wander around the house, probably fall down the stairs, and wake Karkat up? What would that accomplish?

Terezi sat on her bed, weighing her choices on an invisible scale in her mind's eye. The house was too new to her, and she didn't know the layout of the house yet, but she couldn't just keep lying in her bed, still so awake.

Giving herself more time to think – although in reality she had the same amount of time as if she didn't reach out – Terezi grabbed for her glasses.

She wasn't quite sure why she kept her glasses after she went blind. Perhaps it was because she found comfort, remembering of the times when she could still see. Or maybe it was her attempt to hide her blindness, although her walking cane surely gave her away.

The girl put her glasses, along with her cane, beside her on the bed. Her face was in her hands. A sense of doubt was beginning to creep its way back into her mind.

What could she do from here, really? It wasn't as if her blindness could be cured. Was she just supposed to depend on Karkat all her life? Maybe if she wasn't handicapped, Karkat and her could be friends, but who wanted to be friends with a blind person? They would have to help them with a majority of things, wouldn't they?

Terezi sighed. Things were so confusing.


	5. Chapter 5

**As always, I don't own Homestuck.**

**-shadowyLearner~**

* * *

Terezi ended up sitting in her bed for a while, not doing anything more than thinking. When she had finally lain back down, she fell into a restless sleep. It wasn't a very fulfilling sleep, and she hadn't dreamed.

But it was enough to recharge her bodily functions, and she awoke late in the day. She assumed that Karkat was already up and about – probably already in town, looking for job openings.

Seeing as there wasn't really anything else she could do, she stayed in bed for a while longer, thinking some more. Yet it didn't seem to matter how long she thought; there simply didn't seem to be an answer to her problem.

Snapping suddenly out of her mind, she heard noises from downstairs. Her heart sped up, but she assured herself it was probably Karkat, that he hadn't left already.

And indeed it was, for, no sooner than she had this thought, the boy's voice called from down below.

"Terezi? Are you _still_ fucking asleep?"

Terezi answered back with a yell of her own.

"If I was, _Karkles_, you would've woken me up! Be more considerate next time!"

"I've been waiting for you to wake up for two fucking hours!"

"Why didn't you get me up earlier?" Frankly, Terezi was surprised Karkat could even wait that long without storming up to the room and shaking her awake.

"Didn't you just tell me to be more considerate?"

By now, Terezi was sitting up in the bed, glasses perched on her face, and she could hear Karkat beginning to storm up the stairs.

"You _were_ the one to put a blind person's room up a set of stairs, weren't you, Karkles?" she shot back.

"Shut up," she heard him mutter as the door creaked, signaling the door was being opened.

Terezi's wild grin reappeared on her face, accompanied by her devilish giggle.

* * *

"So do you want to come with me?" Karkat asked her.

After getting out of bed, Terezi had dressed and had snacked a little, eating just enough to curb her hunger. Karkat had explained how he was planning to go into town and officially begin his search for a job.

"What can I do here?" Terezi retorted.

Karkat correctly took her response as a yes. "Just don't get in my way," he replied. His tone wasn't really a warning, nor was it a threat, and it didn't hold a slight edge of emotion. It was just a plain statement, not holding any judgment in it.

"I still have to follow you."

"That doesn't mean you'll be in my way."

And with that, the conversation ended. In ten minute's time, they were gone, heading into town, Terezi being led by Karkat into the calm yet chaotic mess of town life.

The first stop was a busy marketplace. However, the store had more than enough employees and the two had left the store only a few minutes after entering.

The second stop was a cleaning company. As much as Karkat hated the strong smell of the chemicals, there were only so many choices for him to choose from, and, seeing as the group was desperately short on workers, he would probably get the job.

However, before the two entered the small building, the sound of an ambulance could be heard far off in the distance. The sound came from the west. The blaring sound enveloped the two as the vehicle came closer and closer to where the two were, as it raced past them to the hospital in the east, its sound fading in the distance.

Except for a brief glance, the two ignored the ambulance and entered the building. It was inside the building that Terezi had the worst feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Watching Karkat talk with the owner of the group from quietly in a chair, Terezi knew that something was wrong, but, try as she might, she couldn't figure out what.

It was when the conversation ceased that the thought hit her like a blow.

Vriska.

Vriska lived to the west of here.

And God knew how many enemies she'd gained over the years.

But the chance that she had something to do with the ambulance was one in a million, wasn't it? It was probably some other poor soul.

But no matter how many times she told herself to stop worrying, Terezi only began to worry some more.

By the time Karkat finally led her out of the building, Terezi knew Vriska was in trouble.

She just _knew _she did.

"Karkles. Stop," Terezi commanded. "We're going to the hospital."

"What?"

"Remember the ambulance we heard? It was coming from the west. Who do we know that lives to the west of here? Vriska," explained Terezi.

"Other people live here, you know."

"Karkles, when I first ran into you, I _knew_ you were the one Vriska told me to find. And right now, I _know_ that Vriska was hurt. _We're going to the hospital_," Terezi said, firmly.

"Terezi-"

"I'll find my own way, if you won't help me," replied Terezi stubbornly.

Karkat sighed. "Terezi, will you listen to me-"

"_Fine_," snarled the girl, turning her back to Karkat.

But before she took a step, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"_Alright_, alright!" Karkat sighed, frustrated. "But how about this? We go and check to see if Vriska's alright at her house first. If she's not there or if Egbert tells us she's at the hospital or whatever, we go, alright?" he asked, his tone softening.

Terezi grunted in reply, which Karkat correctly took as a yes.

* * *

The old house was in disarray. Or at least, John was. When Karkat knocked on the door, John opened it, obviously jittery and somewhat confused.

"Um – hey guys! It's really not a good time, so if-"

"It was Vriska, wasn't it? In the ambulance?" interrupted Terezi.

John visibly relaxed – there was someone else who knew. "You know?"

Terezi's unseeing glare went to her left, where Karkat was standing. He could almost hear her I-told-you-so.

"Not exactly. What happened?"

"I don't really know! I just came home, and-and I saw the ambulance here. I guess Vriska wasn't hurt too badly, or she wouldn't have been able to call..."

"Unless whatever fuckass decided to hurt her called instead," pointed out Karkat. To Terezi, he hadn't seemed fond of Vriska, but his tone had turned somewhat defensive. Perhaps he did care about them after all.

"Well...yeah! But – who would purposely injure someone and then call for help? I mean, isn't that the exact _opposite_ of what you're supposed to do?" squeaked John.

He had relaxed somewhat and was relieved at being able to talk to someone about this, but he still seemed on edge.

"What if they didn't mean to hurt her?" Terezi asked.

As much as she was frightened for her friend, she felt a sort of thrill rush through her as she began to feel like she had so long ago, back when she conducted fake trials with her stuffed animals as a child.

"John," she said suddenly, "you're closer to Vriska than I've been for a while. Who do you know who has a grudge on her?"

"Um, nobody, really! She hasn't really done anything to hurt anyone lately," John retorted, somewhat sheepishly.

"John," repeated Terezi, hearing the guilt in his voice. "Tell me."

"Um...well...she...she sort of threatened a girl's life lately...but she seemed – the girl, I mean – to just kind of brush it off...and anyways, it was before you even went blind."

As John spoke, Terezi's mind flashed back to the vivid memories she held of before she went blind. This girl... Oh yes, Terezi knew her. Aradia was her name. Aradia Megido. But, like John said, Terezi couldn't imagine Aradia, being so kind and cheerful, injuring Vriska for her threat. It wasn't like Vriska had gone through with it.

Right?

* * *

**Oh, and I am aware that Vriska's injury occurred before Terezi's, but due to my faulty memory and lack of creativity (and possibly plot?), the order has been switched.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm not really satisfied with this chapter. I enjoyed the first part, but the rest was forced. Also, this story has taken a turn from the road it was supposed to be on. And although I no longer have an end in sight, I did actually take the time to create some story notes, so I'm starting to plan ahead, which is good. Anyways, enough of my rambling.**

**I do not own Homestuck, as always.**

**-shadowyLearner~**

* * *

The rest of Terezi's day was spent with a confused wreck of a John and an under-enthusiastic Karkat.

It took a long time for Terezi to get all of what John knew of the threatening out of him, and then afterwards, she dragged Karkat with her and John to the emergency room. There it was confirmed that Vriska was indeed the one that had been picked up in the ambulance. In the waiting room, they sat for who even knows how long. Of course, Karkat wanted to leave as soon as possible and, after making arrangements with John to take her to his house after they were done, left the two.

Terezi was not enjoying having her well-being put in the hands of John, but the last thing she wanted to do was leave.

No, wait. That was exactly what she wanted to do. She wanted to go _home_ – not her room in Karkat's house, her childhood house. She wanted to curl up in her old bed – which was probably too small for her now – and just sleep, leaving her blindness and confusion behind.

The air between her and John was full of tenseness. Any time the two had been left alone together, they had ended up fighting verbally. But this was different. Terezi had been friends with Vriska for as long as she could remember, and John was most likely Vriska's closest friend now, if not her boyfriend.

Yes, this was different. And maybe this time it would be different. Maybe they wouldn't fight this time.

Terezi hoped not. She had wanted to get back at Vriska for blinding her, but...she didn't want _this_, whatever _this_ was.

The voices of friends and families of others rang out around them in a nervous chatter. Terezi wondered if John would try to strike up a conversation with them to help break the awkwardness.

Apparently, John had the same idea, because as soon as she thought that, he said, "So, um, were you born blind?"

A deep feeling of hatred and anger bubbled up inside Terezi. Biting back a comeback, she replied, "Vriska never told you?"

"Um...no?"

Terezi shifted uneasily. She hadn't expected this.

"I ruined her good mood one day, and she forced me to stare into the sun. It doesn't sound like much, but...I'd rather not talk about it."

"Oh." John was obviously uncomfortable. "That's different than what I thought."

Terezi sighed loudly, obviously frustrated. "Everybody thinks I was born blind."

"Normally friends don't blind other friends," he pointed out.

"Vriska's different. Did she ever tell you about Tavros?" asked Terezi.

"I don't think so?"

"Let's just say he used to have a crush on her, and Vriska didn't really like him like that. She devised a plan to destroy this little crush of his, and it didn't end well for him."

"Did he live?" asked John, obviously getting more and more uncomfortable by the second.

"Yes, but he ended up moving away, for his own good," she answered.

By this time, John was fidgeting nervously in his seat, which Terezi could hear. She took the opportunity to change the subject before it got too detailed.

"How did you and Vriska meet?" she asked.

"What? Oh, well, we actually first met through the internet! We would IM each other, and we became internet buddies! We found out we lived in the same state, and well, you see how things turned out!" John replied, his tone picking up his usual light-hearted mood.

"And how exactly have things turned out?"

"I-I think we're together, like, as a couple?"

Confusion riddled John's voice, which had yet again undergone a sudden mood transformation. The current event was definitely affecting him emotionally. Whether or not he was dating Vriska, he obviously cared for her.

After a few moments of silence, Terezi asked, "What time is it?"

"It's dark out. The clock over the desk says ten."

"Are you going to stay?"

"Probably. At least until they kick me out," the boy replied.

Terezi nodded. "Same." This definitely wasn't a normal conversation for them.

Silence again. The apprehension in the air had faded a bit, and the two seemed calm, for once, in each other's presence. Terezi could just make out bits and pieces of others' conversations, and she could dimly make out the faint _click-click-click_ of the nurse on her computer.

She wasn't sure if she enjoyed the silence or if it was making her nervous. It definitely allowed for her to think, and she didn't really want to do that right now.

They were there for what felt like a few more hours before they were forced to leave. Terezi overheard the nurse say something about the two of them "looking terrible" and "obviously needing some sleep."

They were at Karkat's house within a half an hour, which was pretty fast, considering they were tired as hell and walking across town. On the walk, both of them had woken up considerably, and they shared a small chat. John obviously didn't like the idea of being left alone in the house, exclaiming, "What if they come back?"

"They were after Vriska, not you," retorted Terezi, her mind still foggy. "If you find any clues, tell me in the morning."

And that was that. Terezi ignored Karkat's sleepy muttering (he had been asleep when the pair arrived) and eventually got into her bed. She expected to fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, but surprisingly she laid awake for what felt like hours but was probably only ten minutes.

Thoughts and questions drifted in her sleepy mind, and even her dreams were riddled with the promise of mystery.

* * *

Terezi slept late again, her third day since she had met Karkat.

Only three days, and it already felt like an eternity. How can time go so slow and yet feel so fast?

This time, instead of waiting for Karkat to come storming up the stairs, yell up at her, or some shit, she reached out for her cane, which was sitting perched up against the nightstand. Sitting up and summoning all her strength to her arm, hand, and wrist, she smashed the bottom of the cane against the floor. An obnoxious way to get the attention of Karkat, yes, but it was currently the most convenient way of doing so.

Right on cue, stomps sounded from the steps down the hall from her room.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" asked Karkat sarcastically, as he helped Terezi out of her room and down the stairs.

"Stop complaining Karkles. I'll be able to navigate by myself once I learn the layout," replied Terezi.

"Whatever. Egbert's here," informed Karkat.

The hair on Terezi's neck stood up. Why was he here? Had he discovered something?

Karkat went on to tell her that John was currently sitting in the kitchen, on edge. Terezi sat herself down at what she hoped was the opposite side of the table – it would make things feel like it was out of a movie or something. Almost like it wasn't real. But it was.

"Um, hey Terezi," began John."

"Did you find anything?" she asked.

"I don't know if you'd count it, but last night...I-I heard voices, which I'm pretty sure were from ghosts, since I don't have a disorder or anything."

"Hm..." The gears in Terezi's head began turning. Could it be possible that Vriska _had_ gone through with her death threat after all, and this was Aradia's ghost, getting revenge?

"I don't really believe in ghosts, but that can change, if what I'm thinking is correct." Settling herself in her seat, she asked, "Could you make out what these voices said?"

"I couldn't really make anything out, but I think they said something about revenge?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the late chapter. Family issues and my own procrastination caused it. I got this done in two days after this story got a couple more followers.**

**Anyway, apparently John and Vriska are going to become main characters, so I'd really like some constructive critism on how I write them. I especially feel that John is OOC, but that could just be me. Enough from me, time for the chapter (right after the disclaimer).**

**I do not own Homestuck in any way.**

**-shadowyLearner~**

* * *

After a brief discussion about the voices, Terezi went off with John to examine the house. The old wood creaked under her feet as she entered the blue house.

"I'm surprised Vriska likes it here," remarked Terezi, recalling her friend's irritation at routine noises.

"Maybe she got used to it or something," replied John, his arm hooked with Terezi's to steer her around the house.

"Maybe. Where were the voices the strongest?"

"They got stronger as I climbed higher," answered the boy, already beginning to head upstairs.

Terezi could hear them, too. They were mostly weak murmurs, but suddenly there was a loud screech that made her literally shiver. She wasn't psychic – if these voices were authentic, they practically proved the existence of ghosts. As they continued upward, the screeches sounded more often and with increasing clarity. She definitely heard the word _revenge_ more than once. But revenge for what? For these were not all female voices, and she only knew about Aradia's death, if her guesses were correct.

"Is there an attic at the top of the house?" asked Terezi.

"I think. I haven't been up there," answered the boy.

"Lead me up."

And so he did. The constant squeaking of the floorboards made Terezi's head ache, but she needed to get to the end of this mystery. After this, she told herself, she would probably head to the hospital to check on Vriska.

"Last step," John told her from behind.

She took a few more steps at the top of the stairs, using her hands and cane to prevent her from running into anything. The floor indicated John was behind her. Terezi ran her hand across the wall, feeling for any sign of a doorknob or a string to reveal a hidden staircase. They soon ran into a jutting piece of cold, rusting metal. A doorknob, to a room that, judging by the cobwebs on it, had not been entered for years.

She turned it, and the door to the room, like everything else in the house, creaked open. Terezi instantly felt a shiver down her spine. An odor attacked her nose; it reminded her of cold rock, the musty smell making her senses tingle.

"John, what do you see?" she asked.

"A...a robot?" It was more of a question than a statement, as if he wasn't sure if he was indeed seeing a robot.

Terezi was instantly confused. A _robot_? Where had it come from, and why was it here? Why Vriska?

"It took you long enough," a calm voice answered. "I was beginning to worry you would not come."

Terezi searched her memories. She recognized the voice but for the life of her, she could not remember who it belonged to. She probably had not heard it in a long time.

"You can't remember? Perhaps you did not care as much as you let one. I am Aradia."

Images flashed in Terezi's mind. The last time she had talked to Aradia was before her blinding. She could recall the sound of the girl's voice, but this voice...it sounded slightly different. More mechanical.

"I understand your hesitation. We have not talked for a long time," continued the voice.

"I guess you know it – uh, her?" asked John, obviously confused.

Terezi swallowed before replying. "I used to roleplay with her. You know that girl you said Vriska threatened?"

"I am her," Aradia said. "You may not recognize me. I happened upon this robot body, and things got out of hand pretty quickly."

"You 'happened' upon a robot body just laying out somewhere...?" Aradia's explanation had apparently not cured John of his curiosity in any way.

"I was a ghost. Walls were no obstacle for me, and while I was passing through the body, it powered up for some reason. I suppose I liked having a body again. However, I did not foresee an error in the programming, and for a short time, I became extremely violent. I apologize for Vriska, by the way," explained Aradia.

"Should I be expecting you to attack me?" asked Terezi, taking a step back.

"I believe the problem has resolved itself," answered Aradia.

"Why were you up here? I mean, why did you want _us_ to find you?" It was a good question; Terezi silently approved.

"Well," began Aradia, "first I wanted to apologize to you about Vriska, and I also wanted a chance to say goodbye to you, Terezi. I never got a chance."

"But you're fine now. You don't have to run away." The idea of leaving again seemed ludicrous to the girl.

"I don't think you want the soul of a dead girl in a robot suit living in your attic."

"I can't tell if that would be cool or just plain creepy," replied John, leaving Terezi's side. He was probably going to examine the body more closely.

"More importantly, would Vriska be pissed off if she found her attacker living in her attic? My guess is yes," Terezi added.

"I...have you gone to see her yet?" asked Aradia.

"We haven't been allowed," answered John.

"In that case, perhaps I should let the doctor or a nurse tell you."

"Tell us what?" inquired the girl, still standing just in front of the doorway.

"You will find out soon enough. In the meantime, since you know where to find me – if I am here – I have an...errand to run. Terezi," Aradia said, the last word more of a command.

"Yes?"

"Goodbye for now. I can promise that this time I will return," replied Aradia, her voice calm and emotionless.

A chill went down Terezi's spine. "I hate goodbyes and you know that."

"I suppose I forgot. Sorry," the ghost girl replied. "The town looks wonderful."

After a brief moment, John asked, "She's gone for now. And why don't you like goodbyes? Except for the obvious, I mean."

Memories flashed in Terezi's mind, and she could feel warm tears beginning to pool. Her mom squeezing her hand as she told her that her dad was dead; a bone-chilling scream of pain; absolute fear in the pit of her stomach; the slow and numbing realization that she could no longer see anything but darkness.

"I just don't, okay?" she answered, an edge to her voice. It came out louder and sharper than she meant it to.

"Alright, alright, jeez! Why don't we just go to the hospital and check on Vriska?" he suggested, obviously taking the sharpness in Terezi's reply personally.

The girl sighed. "John, I didn't mean it personally. Just...a lot of bad things happen whenever I tell someone goodbye, or when they tell me goodbye."

"Like what? I mean, if you don't want to tell me or anything-"

"John, shut up," interrupted Terezi. "The more you talk about shit, the less I want to tell you anything."

"Okay. Shutting up."

A smirk found its way onto the girl's face. "I never said I was going to tell you anything."


	8. Chapter 8

**This chapter would have been out sooner had I not been troubling myself to rewrite the reasons behind Terezi's goodbye phobia. The explanation and everything is at the bottom, so I don't clog up too much space before the actual chapter starts.**

**As always, I do not own Homestuck.**

**-shadowyLearner~**

* * *

They were soon at the main hospital, as they figured (and hoped) that Vriska would be in an actual room instead of the ER. Their guess was correct, and they found out that her room number was 413. The same as John's birthday. Weird. Probably just a coincidence.

They then proceeded to take the elevator up to the fifth floor, where the 400s were, as the first floor was more of a lobby-style place. Attempting to replace silence with voices, John asked, "So, you never actually told me why you don't like goodbyes."

Terezi bit her lip and crossed her arms. "It...I've only said goodbye a couple of times in my life because, since I used to read a lot, I kind of ended up fearing the word. When I was 12, my dad, who was a lawyer, went off for a case, I guess, and..." She felt the warmness of tears behind her eyes again. She swallowed. "I guess something malfunctioned, and the plane crashed...and...that's not all, either." By this time, she was practically forcing her words out, as they became heavy and hard to say.

A _ding!_ and they were at the fourth floor. Terezi silently thanked whoever was pulling the strings, because this meant that hopefully she could stop talking about it.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, both propelling her out of the machine and possibly as a comforting gesture. "We'll talk more about it later."

She never thought she'd say it, but she thanked John then and there for letting the topic drop, even if just for now.

However, her anxiety didn't leave her. She wasn't sure if she really wanted to see Vriska and find...whatever there was for her to see. She secretly hoped that they still wouldn't be let into the room. The girl doubted she'd say the right things, and to put it simply, she was _afraid_.

The two walked through the halls, John both using the room numbers as a guide and guiding Terezi. The elevator had been located at the beginning of the 400s, so in almost no time at all, they were standing in front of room 413.

"I guess this is it then," John remarked, probably going to open the door.

"John, wait," Terezi interrupted, putting her hand on the knob and his to stop him from opening the door. After hesitating another moment, she asked, "Aren't you afraid?"

"Afraid of what?" he asked. He sounded calm, but Terezi could sense a bit of the nervousness she was experiencing. "A little wound?"

The girl could hardly blame him for trying to make the situation feel less menacing, but she still found herself getting worked up at his words. "Just stop with your stupid jokes already! I know you grew up in a house of games and crap, but this isn't a game!" As much as she wanted to, Terezi restricted herself from swearing. She was almost sure there was some sort of law against it, and if there wasn't, she still doubted passer-bys would take kindly to it. "This is _life_, John! It's serious, so man the frig up and _act_ serious!"

There was a moment of what Terezi hoped was shocked silence.

"Terezi?" He was probably trying to mask his true reaction, but she could tell he was doing the exact thing she _didn't_ want him to do – take it personally.

She sighed. "John, I didn't mean it personally. A lot of things have been happening recently."

The boy was silent for a moment more, and then he said, with an edge to his words, "Are you done?"

Terezi bit her lip. "Yes. Now go in."

"Fine."

Three knocks later, the two entered the room. As soon as they did, Terezi immediately felt herself become shy, mostly because of the anxiety she was experiencing. She briefly wondered if John was experiencing the same thing. She was silently thankful that, being blind and all, she wouldn't be able to see her friend's damages. However, the feelings and thoughts were quickly cut short when Vriska interrupted her thoughts.

"When I get out of here, we're going hunting," she snarled. For apparently being so injured, the girl sounded only determined and angered. "That damn bitch is back again."

"So you know who it was?" John asked. "I didn't think you would."

"I'm not an idiot, John!"

"No, but I thought maybe you didn't get a good enough view of her to figure out who it was."

John sounded surprisingly calm. Perhaps Vriska's injuries were being covered up?

"It wasn't the body, John – it's the same as basically any other humanoid robot body. It was her _voice_. Aradia's voice is something I've never forgotten," Vriska explained.

Terezi definitely wasn't going to tell Vriska about Aradia in her attic yet, not while the girl's feelings were still so strong and fresh.

"Could someone _please_ describe Vriska's injuries to me?" Terezi asked, somewhat impatiently.

"Vriska?" John invited, obviously not too keen on doing it himself.

A frustrated sigh came from Vriska before she answered. "Well, besides taking out my left arm and blinding me in my left eye, I was apparently hurt pretty badly, or so the nurses tell me. They also said I bounced back pretty quickly, apparently."

It didn't really surprise Terezi at all. Vriska had always been a determined fighter (or so she acted), and it was no surprise that she recovered quickly.

"Didn't you also say you heard her voice?" she questioned, trying to fit all of the pieces together.

"There were a lot of other voices too, but when it all began, I heard Aradia. She said something like, 'It's been a while, hasn't it? Revenge is best served cold, after all.'"

Terezi blinked, confused. Hadn't John said that Vriska had only recently threatened (and presumably killed) the girl?

"John, didn't you say this only happened recently?" Terezi asked quietly, hoping the boy would hear her.

"It did. Maybe Aradia was confused or something," John replied in a hushed tone.

"Or maybe you were," Terezi retorted.

"Guys! Whispering is kind of rude when I'm right here, you know!" Vriska interrupted. "What are you two even talking about?"

"Nothing, Vriska," the shorter girl replied.

"Oh, come on! I know something's up! Terezi, you're acting like it's the end of the world – what's wrong?"

Terezi bit her lip. Was she really acting that badly? She hadn't noticed – it had all felt so natural. She wished yet again she could see, but this time, it was so she could focus her attention elsewhere.

"...Sorry," she finally managed to say.

"No seriously, Terezi, what's up? You're not acting like yourself," Vriska stated, surprisingly worried about her long-time friend.

Other than a lot of things were going on, Terezi had absolutely no idea what was wrong with her, if anything at all, and that seemed like a minor thing, talking to someone who had just gone blind in one eye and had her left arm either removed surgically or forcefully.

"Can we not talk about it?" she asked, trying to make herself sound friendly.

"Hmph. Fine."

"Okaaay, so when do you think you're getting out of here?" John asked, apparently finding his voice again.

"I have no idea. No one's mentioned anything about that yet, and I haven't had time to ask," Vriska replied, "with everything else going on."

There was a brief silence before Terezi quietly asked what time it was; she had lost track a while ago.

"About three," the boy answered. "What, do you have plans?"

"No. I was just wondering."

* * *

The rest of the visit went by quicker than Terezi had expected; they had left as 5:00 came around, as that was when dinner would be taken around.

Terezi and John, their problems resolved by the visit, went to a small diner and had their own dinner.

"I wonder what Karkat's up to," John wondered out loud.

"Probably wondering where the heck we are," Terezi answered, not exactly feeling like swearing.

After John dropped Terezi off at Karkat's house, the boy went back to his house and Terezi fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. It hadn't been a draining day, and she was thankful for it. Too many stressful days in a row had a habit of shortening her patience.

* * *

**I also have to apologize for involuntarily making Terezi so OOC and easily irritated in this fanfiction. It is, however, my first Homestuck fanfic, so problems such as this have arisen. Also, since I am finding it getting increasingly difficult to write this fanfiction, if you have any suggestions as to its future plot, I would love to hear them (although there will definitely be eventual Karezi).**

**And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for...the reasoning behind Terezi's dislike of goodbyes:**

**First off, who really likes goodbyes? And secondly, let me just state that Terezi has lost her father (who died when she was young), her two older sisters (who didn't die, but she hasn't talked to them in years), Tavros (who moved away), Aradia (who was killed by Terezi's _best friend_), her mother (who died soon after Terezi went blind), and Terezi may also have lost this friendship with Vriska (who, as mentioned earlier, is/was her best friend). Also, I wrote a more in-depth explanation, but it was absolutely terrible, and I didn't think you wonderful people would want to read something that's actually even worse than the fanfiction itself.**

**IMPORTANT EDIT: Due to school on the horizon and the fact that I still have quite a bit of homework to finish, the next chapter will be delayed. I am so, so sorry!**

**-shadowyLearner~**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the wait. As always, alert me of any mistakes, and I do not own Homestuck!**

**-shadowyLearner~**

* * *

Terezi and John visited Vriska several times after that. Sometimes they dragged Karkat up with them, but not always. When they weren't at the hospital, they were usually discussing how to break it to Vriska that Aradia visited her house. Sometimes they talked at Vriska's, other times at Karkat's. Terezi didn't know if John had a preference between the two, but she did – Vriska's.

At her house, which John continued to live in, there was no one to bother them – not even Aradia, whose location remained unknown. It was quiet, much quieter than at Karkat's, since the boy was obviously annoyed with John's visits; it wouldn't make as much of a difference if he tried to contribute, which he didn't.

About a month later, they still hadn't come up with anyone constructive, and both of them were getting frustrated. They had to tell her soon. If Vriska found out they had kept Aradia's presence a secret from her for a month, there would be hell to pay, and waiting even longer would only make their punishments worse.

Terezi was sitting in one of the chairs in Karkat's living room. By now she had memorized most of the house's layout, although she still had some difficulty getting up the stairs on her own. She always thought there was an extra step and stumbled at the top, which rightfully resulted in her not being allowed to ascend or descend the stairs without someone there to assist her.

She spent most of her time debating ideas, although she sometimes listened to music. On these days, Terezi might turn on an old radio of Karkat's that still worked or, after fumbling around trying to hit the right buttons, manage to tune into the music stations on the television.

Terezi had woken with a headache, and she had chosen to use the television; Karkat was out, so she didn't have to worry about the volume, as long as it didn't get too loud. Karkat, as she had found out, was by no means a lover of music. He wasn't even a _liker_ of music, and he listened to it as rarely as he could, which was almost never.

In the chair, she laid her head back and relaxed, even curling up a little. She liked this song, although she wasn't sure what the name of it was, or who it was by. The girl hoped John didn't come by and cut the ending off; she really wanted to listen to it.

It started off with a somber introduction, originally deterring her from the song, and it only went down from there – for a while, anyway, until a couple of minutes in, when it gained volume (she had to turn it down) and the words' message changed from despair to joy. As silly as it seemed, she felt her own spirits rise.

Judging from the lyrics, it was most likely a Christian song, but she didn't care – it was too positive for her to. She felt a smile find its way onto her face, and a feeling of light drowsiness accompanied it. It wouldn't hurt to fall asleep for a while, would it?

However, just as she was falling asleep, another song came on, and its introduction startled her. What came on after it was pretty quiet, and she ended up dozing off.

"Terezi! Tereziiii! Time to wake up!"

Terezi blinked open her eyes, although this made no difference in her sight.

"Huh?" she asked, confused and trying to get the person to talk more.

"You were asleep, so I thought I'd wake you up."

John. Wasn't Karkat back yet?

"Oh, right." A yawn cut off her last word, and she attempted to hide it with her hand. It was too late. "What time did you get here?"

"Just a couple of minutes ago."

"Why did you wake me up?" Terezi felt like she had left her own body and was coming back after a long stay away.

John opened his mouth to answer, but a loud creak signaled that the front door was opening.

"What a surprise," said Karkat's sarcastic voice.

"Oh, hey, Karkat!" John greeted.

"What took you so long?" Terezi asked. She guessed she had been asleep for a while, and she noticed that the television was no longer on. She assumed John had turned it off before waking her up.

"I had errands to run," Karkat defended. "I can't afford to stay at home doing nothing."

Terezi bit her lip, trying to keep herself from yelling. She was _blind_! What was she supposed to do? Go out and get herself killed?

"Oh, and some" – Karkat paused before continuing – "friends of mine are coming over on Thursday. Terezi, you can stay or you go with someone else, I just don't want _you_ here." Assumedly, he meant John when he said "you."

"Okay, okay!" John's voice rose a bit, but it quickly went back to its normal pitch. "Well, what do you want to do?"

Terezi assumed John was asking her. "Well, Karkat, what are these friends like?" There was no reply, and she asked again, louder, "What are these friends like?"

"What?" Karkat was most definitely no longer in the room. Funny, Terezi thought, that such a loud-mouthed boy couldn't hear her from the next room over. She opened her mouth to repeat herself again, but John said it for her.

"She said 'what are these friends like'! Can't you hear?"

Surprisingly, Karkat didn't retort with anything, and instead he answered Terezi's question. "Well, they're all a bunch of shitheads-"

"Just like you are," she retorted quietly.

"– But I can – what was that?" Maybe Karkat had better hearing than she thought.

"Nothing. What were you saying?"

"I was saying that they're all a bunch of little shits, but I tolerate them." Karkat's voice was getting nearer, and Terezi assumed he was coming back into the room.

"Aren't you friendly?" John said sarcastically.

"You don't even have any friends," Karkat retorted.

"I have friends!"

"Like who?"

"Well, um, like Terezi, and-"

"We're not really friends," she interrupted.

"Oh, um..."

"See? You're a fucking loser."

"Karkat," Terezi scolded.

"What? I'm just saying the truth!" Karkat defended.

"Maybe, but you're making an ass out of yourself...like you always do," she added.

"I think I'll come back later," John said, his voice flat. "What time are these friends coming over?"

"They said they'll be over most of the day," Karkat replied. "You might as well not come at all."

"I guess I'll talk to you later, then..." A door closed and John was gone.

"Nice job chasing him out," Terezi remarked. "It's a wonder you still have any friends."

"I didn't try to make them, believe me. It just happened."

"I bet. I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to be."

"Well, aren't I lucky?"

* * *

Dinner was a silent event. Terezi didn't feel much like talking, and anything she did say was bound to come out as an accusation or insult. Instead, she ate slowly, thinking to herself.

"You never did tell me if you were going to stay, you know," Karkat said. "I have a feeling you might like them. More than John or myself, anyway."

"If they stick around you, I wouldn't be so sure," Terezi retorted.

"They're not like me, Terezi. I mean – fuck, that came out wrong – I mean, they're assholes, but they're-" Karkat paused "-fun. They're good friends if you hang around them long enough. The three of us have known each other since grade school."

"They must've been down on their luck if the best they could have is you," Terezi said under her breath.

"I don't know why they decided to stay with me. They could've easily done better. Sometimes I think they just liked to make tease the shit out of me, but when it comes down to what really matters...they're good friends."

Terezi considered her choices: spend a day with John (the thought made her shudder) or get to know Karkat's friends. She sat back in her seat. She didn't know how long she was going to be living here; she might as well get to know Karkat and his friends. She barely knew anything about him other than he could swear worse than a sailor if he wanted to, and he had terrible social skills.

"Okay, I'll stay," the girl said.

* * *

When Terezi felt the softness of the bed on her back that night, she found sleep hard to come by. Her mind was plagued with thoughts and theories, questions of who Karkat was and who his friends were, and why he had moved in the first place. Eventually, she fell into a vivid, dream-filled sleep, although she didn't remember these adventures the next morning.

She would find out everything she needed to know soon enough.


End file.
